Below is a Vedic astrological assessment centered around an eating disorder that I have been working on for a client.

I have also added the Mahabote Analysis (at the end of my analysis) for my MaHaBote students, so that you may see how the two systems can work side by side with their own set of rules, yet produce a high degree of confluence – even when using different disciplines and approaches. Also, I wanted you to experience a chart where no "keys" are being turned, and the chart is running undirected. I hope you find it useful...

Ascendant: 05:43 Cancer

Source of Data: Birth Certificate

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized most severely by a refusal to eat – even to the point of starvation. Other symptoms include an intense fear of becoming fat that never goes away, no matter how thin the individual becomes, extreme over-activity, and an obsession with working out, negative feelings about the way the body looks, deep feelings of shame, and sometimes problems with drug and/or alcohol abuse. Ninety-five percent of the people who suffer from this disorder are female. Another characteristic feature of the disorder is that people with anorexia usually deny that there is anything wrong, but continuously say they simply “aren’t hungry”.

Statistical studies have shown that about 30% of all people with anorexia struggle with it throughout their lives, another 30% have at least one life-threatening bout with it, while the remaining 40% outgrow it. Studies have also shown that some also suffer from depression, and the onset of the illness normally begins in adolescence.

Analysis:The three most important key areas for the analysis of a horoscope are:

1. Determining the functional nature of the planets in the chart,

2. Determining the strength/weakness of each planet,

3. Factoring in the relationships that are developed and exist in the chart by the planets with the other planets and houses - through conjunctions, aspects, and placements.

Orbs of influence I am using for strong planets is 1 degree, while weak planets are afflicted within a 5 degree orb. Saturn is the only strong planet in this chart, and therefore its orb of malefic influence is 1 degree, as opposed to the wider 5 degree orb.

Problems of ill health start surfacing during the sub-periods of the lord of the lagna, lord of the 6th, planets placed in the 6th, planets causing afflictions, or afflicted planets. In the case of the afflicted planets, besides the general significations being subject to sufferings, the significations of the houses where their MT sign is placed, along with the significations of the houses where the planets are placed additionally suffer.

Additionally, planets need to retain 60% of their strength to protect and promote their significations, while weak planets cause delays. Consideration of the strength of their dispositors is also necessary for proper evaluation. The strength of the houses is determined by the strength of their lords, and the conjunctions and aspects to the equal bhava madhya (EBM's) of the houses.

Following are the primary significators I used for my assessment:

Health and vitality are ruled by the 1st, while food habits and sickness are ruled by the 6th. Food itself is ruled by the 2nd. The 1st, 6th, and 8th rule health, along with the Sun and Mars, and Virgo is the natural 6th sign of health. The 10th plays a role in weak body constitution, general weakness and emaciated body.

Afflicted houses are the 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 11th – indicating serious challenges with her health and happiness, communications and initiatives, long term partners and marital ties, in addition to gains and friendships. The 3rd additionally tenants Virgo. Afflicted planets are Sun, Mars, and Venus – showing that the general significations of these planets suffer, meaning her health and vitality, courage and muscular system, and marriage and relationships. Looking at the chart, we also note that the 2nd, 10th, and 4th house significations suffer (MT houses of the afflicted planets) – meaning her relationship with food, body constitution, and mental peace, as do the significations of the 6th and 8th (positions of the afflicted planets) diet, digestion and health.

Moon: MT lord of the 1st and primary significator for health, is well placed in the 10th, but weakened by virtue of old age, retaining only 41% strength. Lagna lord is also disposited by weak Mars who is badly placed in the 6thand afflicted by the nodal axis. So although well placed, the lagna lord harbors a double criteria for weakness and thus has clear implications to weaken her body and physical constitution for good health. Moon’s position in the 10th, noting above that that the significations of the 10th are subject to suffering, can indicate an emaciated and/or weak body.

Sun: MT lord of the 2nd, primary significator for status along with food/grains, and general significator for health, is weak by virtue of old age, being badly placed in the 8th, and afflicted by 8th lord Saturn. The Sun does, however, retain 88% of its strength throughout its hammering by two malefics and inherent weakness, so it does retain a fair amount of bargaining power for offsetting weakness to a certain degree, and protecting and promoting its significations. However, Sun is additionally afflicted by the planet of long term misery and intestinal disease, Ketu, from the 12th house of loss. Also note that the primary significator for food in this chart goes to the house of secrets – the mysterious 8th. It has been my experience that this is the house where the secrets of the native are not necessarily crystal clear or revealed, but planets posited in the 8th are indicative that there are secrets, in addition to what these secrets are about based on the significations and MT houses these planets posited here lord, and therefore warrant a bit of deeper digging to unveil the mystery. So 4th lord, Venus, hides there with 2nd lord, Sun, indicating that it is not uncommon for possibilities of “secrets” involving the matters of the 4th (home) and the 2nd. So get your shovel and start digging deeper… because Sun is also general significator for health, and being badly placed in the 8th house of set backs, clearly contributes to the obstructions of the significations 2nd house, along with the 8th.

Mercury: MT lord of the 3rd, although well placed, conjunct the equal bhava madhya (EBM) of the 9th and aspecting its own Virgo MT house, is combust, debilitated, and in infancy, retaining 63% strength. So it retains a minimal amount of strength to protect Mercury significations, but isn’t in the all clear by a long shot. Mercury is also a general karaka for health.

Venus: MT lord of the 4th, is weakened through combustion, being badly placed in the 8th, and afflicted by 8thlord Saturn from the 11th house of gains, and Ketu from the 12th house of loss. Venus is also the general karaka for the 12th house of loss. It is interesting to note that her relationships, domestic happiness, and mental peace were quite seriously impacted, and as such they suffered at times miserably in the home on account of the native frequently throwing out any and all food brought into the house, leaving only spices in the cupboards, liquor and wine in the cabinets, and ice tea in the refrigerator. Venus also has connections with our sense gratifications, indulgences, and enjoyments of the pleasures in life…while these took a self-destructive path.

Jupiter: MT lord of the 6th house of health, habits, and enemies, is posited in the 7th, debilitated, and afflicting the EBM's of the 7th, 11th, 1st, and 3rd, giving attention to uneasiness, challenges, mental anguish and health problems with respect to relationships, friends, health and happiness, and initiatives. Malefics Jupiter and Saturn are posited in relationship houses of the 7th and 11th, and both houses are afflicted – therefore straining both her personal and social relationships, and promoting anxiety. Jupiter is additionally weak by debilitation in Capricorn, natural 10th lord of general weakness/emaciated body.

Saturn: MT lord of the 8th is both strong and well placed in her chart in the 11th house of gains, and therefore has the potential to strengthen her health and longevity – so all is not so dire. But we cannot forget that Saturn is also afflicting both planets in its own 8th, Sun and Venus, from its position in the 11th. FM Saturn is functional malefic and is currently raising havoc and causing obstructions and adverse health conditions during her current RA/SA period, by being both her 8th and her current bhukti lord.

Mars: MT lord of the 10th, is both badly placed and afflicted by the master of deception, Rahu, and resides in the 6th disposited by weak malefic Jupiter. So fooling herself about her public image is certainly well within the realm of possibility with the support of the deceptive and manipulative characteristics of Rahu afflicting her 10th lord where lagna lord, Moon, resides

Rahu & Ketu: Posited on the dusthana 6/12 axis, afflicting, adds an additional tone of malificience to the general impact of the significations of these two dusthanas. Rahu is additionally disposed by MT 6th lord, Jupiter, who is weak, adding its own tone of destructive ability to the mix. The intent of these two is obviously very negative, and certainly suggestive of having capabilities of packing a powerful malefic punch during their sub periods.

Divisional Charts:

For the study of divisional charts, study the strength of the lord of the ascendant of the appropriate divisional chart, the Moon, chart significator, (such as Mercury for D-6th) and the lord of the particular house of the Rashi chart. The chart significator should not be weak for the general significations of the particular divisional.

Shastamsha – D-6th: Health & Types of Diseases:

In Shatamsha, lagna lord Mars is conjunct the nodes and posited in the 10th – confirming a general weakness and/or weak bodily constitution. Mercury is badly placed in the 12th. 6th rashi lord, Jupiter, goes to the first, indicating the possibility that the disease possibly began manifesting during her Ma/Ju period in adolescence at the age of 16, in late January of 1990.

Ashtamsha – D-8th: Longevity, Tensions, & Trouble

In Ashtamsha, lagna lord Venus goes to the 12th disposited by Mars from the 10th. Saturn, the current bhukti lord and significator for the 8th is posited in the lagna and afflicted by the nodes. Saturn in the lagna, being the current bhukti lord, may be indicative of ongoing struggles with respect to the health and the marital tie, as it is also afflicted in Ashtamsha by both the MD and PD lords, Rahu and Ketu respectively. Current period is Ra/Sa/Ke.

Transits:

When did it begin?

It most likely began to manifest in the beginning stages as early as August of 1988 at the onset of her Ma/Ma MD and bhukti, at the age of 15. Mars is badly placed in the 6th, weak, and afflicted, but I would need to more closely check the transits as they supercede dashas. However, let us also look at late January, 1990, at the age of 16, during her Ma/Ju period. Bhukti lord Jupiter was conjunct the EBM of her 12th, 4th, 6th, and 8th. Mahadasha lord, Mars, was exactly conjunct malefic planet and bhukti lord, transit Saturn in the 6th, but Saturn, was not only tightly conjunct weak natal Mars and Rahu, but also closely afflicting 2nd lord, Sun, and Ketu in the 12th. This sets the scene for the full implications of the disease to take root. Rahu additionally closely associates with natal Saturn while natal Jupiter is closely afflicting both lagna lord, Moon and 2nd lord, Sun.

And it continues…Currently, as I mentioned earlier, she is running a Ra/Sa/Ke period. Bhukti 8th lord T Saturn is conjunct natal Saturn and afflicting 4th lord Venus. MD lord T Rahu is conjunct the EBM of the 12th, 4th, 8th, and 6th. T Jupiter is conjunct natal Ketu and closely afflicting both Venus and Rahu, while T Ketu is conjunct the EBM’s of the 6th, 10, 2nd, and 12th.

What I find most interesting and sad about this chart is her denial about her eating disorder – which is so very obvious to everyone around her, and especially those that love her. I believe that Rahu in the 6th plays an important role in deceiving her about her health and her health habits, and I can only hope that the strength of Saturn is able to pull her through in her times of serious episodic crisis.

I hope this chart has clearly demonstrated some of the working principles of Vedic analysis, and I also hope I have not made too many errors or typos. And if you made it this far – thanks for reading…

Now for the MaHabote analysis:

Here I will demonstrate (very briefly) a few of the techniques of MaHaBote, so we can see how this same chart can be read using another discipline. This may be of interest to my students who took my online Mahabote Course, and have not yet experienced a chart where none (or few) of the “keys” are being turned, and therefore the chart is just running wild, as malefically as it can, while totally undirected.

We can see that she is a Venus born in Wealth and running a repeat birth chart for her 2001 transit chart. Venus rules many things - including the pleasures in life – Venus is also karaka for food. Saturn rules many things - including discipline and restrictions in life. Saturn is also karaka for malnutrition and emaciation. Indications were there from birth for Saturn/Venus related challenges. Her friends and positive elements are Ma/Me. Her enemies and hostile elements are Sa/Sa She is currently running a Moon Major and Mercury Minor. Moon, major lord in Kingly Position, represents the things she would like to attain in her life – including that of a nurturer, good mother, self-protective, etc. – although probably never will to her degree of satisfaction. Jupiter in Sickly is not supporting her emotional state (Moon) with his wisdom and sound judgment (Jupiter)…The negative manifestation of the relationship between Ju/Mo is so very obviously operating at full throttle. Mercury, minor lord in Impermanence, represents that which is unreliable and inconstant. She has changeable Mercury posited here, her positive (but unreliable) element of communication, but Mercury posited in a liability house with Saturn running the show is of little help. It is highly unlikely that Venus will have the strength to uplift Mercury to a more peaceful communion of communicative intelligence (Mercury) with respect to eating habits. (Venus) Saturn rules…and Saturn is double enemy to Venus…Saturn in this position needs, nor wants any help. The chart enemy is king of the mountain. Venus in Wealth wants the satisfaction of looking beautiful…not realizing that there is a high degree of distortion involved in her view of what it takes to accomplish beauty when you allow the enemy to run the show.

Saturn in Extremity is double enemy to the Venus born, and because this client is not using any of her available friendly planetary energies, Saturn has overrun her chart completely with the negative manifestation of energy because Saturn hates Venus. Therefore we can comfortably conclude that Saturn is currently running the show, completely overriding her Sun in Leader.

Allowing powerful enemy lord Saturn (discipline) to overtake Sun and sit over Venus (food) is a major fault and challenge, because Sa/Ve are so hostile to one another. Saturn overtaking the Leader position is additionally her strongest motivating factor, and what leads her in life, and shows the world in what matter she is driven – Also showing her 'discipline' to an obvious fault. Mars in Fame is neutral to Saturn and enemy to Sun – but best friends with Venus…So the native is known for her driven tendencies to using all her energy (Mars) and applying whatever it takes outwardly (Mars in Fame) to appear attractive (Venus in Wealth) – which can mean exercising to a demanding fault. In this case, she is also driven very negatively to starving herself and indulging in the malefic Saturn trait of food deprivation (Saturn over Venus.) Blinded by her quest for beauty, the enemy, Saturn, prevails and distorts.